


Circumnavigate

by musketrois (B_kate)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Historical, Arguing, Artist Harry, Blood, Boats and Ships, Boys Kissing, Execution, Exploration, Happy Ending, Historical, Kissing, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Injuries, Minor Violence, Miscommunication, No Smut, Past Relationship(s), Plague, Sailor Louis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-09
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-22 09:50:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11964900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/B_kate/pseuds/musketrois
Summary: At the age of twenty-eight, Louis Tomlinson finds himself traveling to the Spice Islands with the explorer Ferdinand Magellan. Louis has spent the last ten years avoiding his past, but he is forced to face it when artist Harry Styles boards his ship. Now, Louis must sail to undiscovered lands while navigating the emotions he has buried deep.





	Circumnavigate

**Author's Note:**

  * For [asphodelknox](https://archiveofourown.org/users/asphodelknox/gifts).



> I chose [asphodelknox's](http://archiveofourown.org/users/asphodelknox/pseuds/asphodelknox) prompt over Ferdinand Magellan’s circumnavigation of the earth in the 1500s. The prompt was a bit of a challenge for me, because it is a topic that can easily be turned into a 100k story. I tried my best to fit it down into my shorter writing style, and I’m happy with where it has ended up! There was a lot of creative license used with some of the recorded historical events. If you want a more accurate telling, read Antonio Pigafetta’s account from the trip. Enjoy!
> 
> Thank you to [Nic](http://louandhazaf.tumblr.com/) for helping me edit and listen to me whine. Big thanks to [Bee](https://get-them-sneezes-out.tumblr.com/) for coming in last minute to beta for me!

At the age of twenty-eight, Louis Tomlinson never expected to be a sailor about to embark on a voyage West to the Spice Islands.

As he boarded the _Santiago_ , he admired the four other Spanish ships docked at San Lúcar de Barrameda in the Guadalquivir River. They were there to pick up more men and supplies before officially setting sail the next day.

On September 20 in the year 1519, these five ships would begin the task approved by King Charles V of Spain. Under the leadership of Ferdinand Magellan, they would sail West in order to create a spice route through the Indies. 

Why the Portuguese navigator would willingly swear his allegiance to the greedy Spanish over his home country was beyond Louis’ understanding. Yet he understood the lengths men would go to in order to sail the seas in search of heroic adventure.

Heroism and adventure were not what Louis came to Spain looking for. If anything, the voyage was an escape. Louis shook his head in an attempt to dislodge the images of the England he left behind in 1512.

Louis’ boots clicked across the wood planking of the deck as he made his way toward the captain's quarters. Men yelled greetings to him while they checked the rigging and other gear in preparation for their departure. As boatswain of the ship, Louis was in charge of the deck crew. He may have been one of the youngest men on the ship, but he had earned the crew’s trust during the five weeks they were docked in Seville. 

The door to the office violently swung open as Louis descended the stairs to the entrance of the room. Diego Carmena, the third mate, stormed passed him cursing in Spanish.

A hand reached out to close the door until the man it belonged to realized a bewildered Louis was standing there.

“Oi, Louis! Come in, we were just finalizing everything for tomorrow morning,” the first mate, Niall Horan, said while yanking Louis through the door.

Louis raised his eyebrows at Niall and the man sitting in a chair behind an oak desk. “What was that all about?”

The _Santiago’s_ captain, Liam Payne, was the one to reply as he massaged his temples. “Diego’s upset, because I’m giving his private room to an artist coming on the trip. Being a high ranking officer has made him believe he’s above sleeping with you lot in the main sleep quarters.”

 _Santiago’s_ captain and first mast were both from England. The irony that a ship in the fleet of Galleons under Spanish control was being led by Englishmen was not lost on Louis.

“He’s always been a tosser. Sleeping with us might toughen him up a bit,” Louis replied.

“Who is this special guest anyhow? I thought all of Magellan’s chosen ones were with him on the _Trinidad_?”

“A few men were added at the last minute, and the _Trinidad_ is already out of room. They’ve all been assigned to whichever boats have space,” Liam told him while flipping through the charts laid on his desk.

“Niall, he should be arriving soon. Please go fetch him and bring him here before Louis shows him where he will be staying.”

Niall nodded at Liam’s command and scampered out of the office.

Louis pulled a sheaf of paper out of a drawer in Liam’s desk. It contained his log of duties to give the men each day.

“You really didn’t answer my question, Payno. What is the job of this special guest? Will he be of any use around here or will he spend his days getting in the way on the deck?”

Liam glared at the nickname. “You really should call me Captain Payne. Just because we’re friends doesn’t mean you get to be disrespectful. You’ll give the other men ideas.”

Louis rolled his eyes as Liam continued, “He’s a well-known artist from England named Harry Styles. He’s been commissioned to draw and write about what we come across on our journey. King Charles V wants a book made out of his findings in case there is something his kingdom can use for profit.”

Louis felt his heart stop at the name Harry Styles, but he easily played it off without Liam noticing.

“Of course money is always the first thing on his mind. You say he’s a well-known artist, but I’ve never heard the name.”

“That’s because you’re an uncultured sailor,” Liam joked.

“I’ll have you know that I’m very cultured! I may have grown up on the docks of London, but even you have to admit I’ve learned and seen a lot on our travels,” Louis said in indignation.

“You know I’m having you on, mate. I’d never heard of ’im either. It’s what Magellan told me this morning when he dropped the man on me.”

Before Louis could answer, the office door swung open once more. In strode Niall and after him came a man who had a nervous look about him.

“May I introduce Harry Styles of England,” Niall boomed.

While the man stepped forward to shake hands with the captain, Louis took the opportunity to look him over. He was just as Louis remembered. Brown hair that was cut close to his scalp in the back but was a mess of hair in the front, accompanied by eyes so green they could rival all of the forests, meadows, and grasslands Louis had ever seen. 

After exchanging pleasantries with Liam, he turned toward Louis. Louis’ ice-blue eyes were met by the green eyes he still dreamed about. Harry’s face went from a pleasant smile to shocked surprise, which he quickly masked. 

Without realizing it, Louis’ hand reached out to meet the one offered by Harry. When Louis failed to give a greeting, Harry took over.

“Hello, I’m Harry Styles. Thank you for letting me aboard your ship.” Harry’s slow speech washed over Louis like cool cider on a summer day in England.

Louis felt a jolt travel up his arm when their hands finally met in a firm shake. It had been years since he last saw Harry, but the connection had failed to fade.

“I’m Louis Tomlinson. I’ll be the Boatswain for this trip. If you have any trouble with your accommodations or the men working the ship, come to me.”

Harry nodded his head in understanding and then retracted his hand when he realized he was still gripping Louis’ for longer than was necessary. A faint blush began to cover his cheeks, but Louis chose to ignore it.

“Let’s get out of the Captain’s and First Mate’s way so they can finish preparing for the trip. Follow me and I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”

Harry followed Louis from the Captain’s office to below deck. Louis led him down a dimly lit corridor and into the private cabin usually reserved for the third mate. A trunk Louis assumed contained Harry’s belongings was already placed at the end of the bed. The rest of the room was occupied by a desk and lantern that failed to make up for the lack of a porthole.

“All of the high ranking officers are in rooms on this deck. One deck below you is the main sleeping quarters. If you go to the end of your corridor and turn left, there’s some stairs that lead to the galley where we take our meals. You’ll know when it’s time to eat once you hear a bell sound followed by the noise of sailors running to be first in line for food.”

“Louis…” Harry began.

“Please don’t, Harry.”

“So, we’re going to act like we haven’t known each other for most of our lives?”

“I’d rather forget,” was Louis’ stony reply.

Harry scuffed his worn boots against the floor before looking into Louis’ eyes. “Would you mind showing me around the ship at least? I’m afraid I will be hopelessly lost unless someone shows me where things are.”

Louis held back an exasperated sigh. He needed to make sure his crew weren’t slacking off, but he also knew Liam expected him to be accommodating to their guest. He tried ignoring the part of his mind reminding him that he had never been able to tell Harry no.

“We’ll take a quick tour. Make sure you keep up, I’ve got my own duties to attend to,” Louis replied in a short clip.

It was an awkward tour with Harry attempting to engage Louis in conversation and Louis giving the shortest of answers. 

By the end, Harry was subdued and Louis was fuming. Out of all of Europe’s artists, the King had to pick Harry, and fate had to put him on Louis’ ship for at least the next year.

Louis left Harry to his own devices in his cabin before heading back to the main deck. Preparing the ship for the voyage would take his mind of the man with green eyes.

-

It was part of Louis’ daily routine to take a stroll along the deck after supper. 

The sun was setting, and orange and pink hues covered the buildings in the port of San Lúcar de Barrameda. As he walked across the starboard side, Louis noticed someone sitting on the deck with his legs hanging between the ship’s rails. 

Louis could see that he had a sketchbook propped between him and the rails. Once he had stepped closer, he realized the man was Harry. Before he could turn and retreat like the coward he was, Harry spotted him. At that point, Louis decided he should be polite to the ship’s guest.

“Good evening,” Harry said.

Louis could hear the uncertainty in his voice. It was made clear earlier Louis didn't want to speak with Harry, but both of them had been raised to use good manners. He gave Harry a curt nod. An awkward silence stretched between them, but Louis used it to watch Harry skillfully drawing the sun setting over the harbor.

Harry had always been a talented artist. 

Louis shook his head to shut his thoughts down. Harry had other ideas about keeping the past where it belonged, but Louis was determined to look only toward the future. 

Despite his best attempts to focus on the now, a memory came to the front of his mind as they silently looked out on the harbor.

_1505_

_The Thames churned by, filled with refuse that mixed with the mud stirred up by shipping boats as they slowly floated down the river._

_Louis didn’t mind the look of the water and continued to kick his feet back and forth in it as he sat on a low dock. After a long day of hauling cargo, he was enjoying the cool breeze that rolled off the river. He may only be fourteen, but someone had to take care of his mum and four sisters._

_A shadow suddenly blocked the sunlight Louis had been literally basking in. He was about to tell off whom he assumed was one of his sisters, but he instantly began smiling when he saw who it was._

_The first thing he always noticed was the green eyes that could see through the facades Louis had built throughout his childhood. After the eyes, Louis always noticed the boy’s dimple, which popped when smiling._

_“What are you doing down here, Harry?” Louis shouted at the younger boy._

_While Louis was a simple dock worker helping his family make ends meet, Harry Styles was the son of one of England’s richest merchants. His father was very strict about class divisions, but once Harry met Louis when he was six and Louis was eight, there was no stopping him from spending time in the slums along the Thames._

_Harry carefully sat next to Louis in his elegant tunic and leggings._

_“Father is busy in a meeting, so I snuck away to find you,” Harry giggled._

_Louis nudged him in the ribs. “I thought after the last time you got in trouble, he said he’d start taking your inheritance away if you continued mingling with us lowly peasants.”_

_Harry became petulant. “He can take my entire inheritance away for all I care. He doesn’t know what it’s like here. He will never understand the hardworking people I’ve met, and he’ll never see the different side of life I’ve seen.”_

_The pair were not known for sharing their feelings so openly. They had known each other for long enough that there was no need for Louis to give a comforting reply. Without words, they knew what they meant to each other, and that meant supporting the other despite their different backgrounds._

_“I’m glad you continue to break the rules,” Louis softly said as he leaned into Harry’s side._

_“Me too,” came Harry’s instant reply._

_“Promise you’ll always break them for me?”_

_“Promise,” Harry said as the sun continued its slow journey towards the horizon._

Louis shook his head to rid himself of the memory. He was no longer a dirty child living near the Thames. The journey he was about to embark on would be long and arduous. All of his focus needed to be on his crew and the running of the ship, not on memories of a sweet, curly-haired boy by the river.

He looked down at Harry to see the man already looking back at him with a knowing gaze. Louis couldn’t help how his mouth turned into a frown at the idea of Harry still being able to read him after being apart for so long. He gave Harry a curt nod before turning around and striding back down the deck without another word.

-

From then on, Louis let his work consume him so he would not be forced to interact with Harry again. He went as far as taking on extra duties to keep his hands and mind occupied.

It wasn’t hard to avoid the man at first. Harry apparently had a weak stomach, and it took him almost two weeks to become used to the rolling of the ship. Under the orders of Captain Payne, Louis made sure Harry regularly got meals from the kitchen even if he couldn’t keep them down. When Louis saw him once again sketching on the deck one day, he knew the younger man had finally found his sea legs. 

With no stops until they reached South America, Louis felt like a prisoner on his own ship. He was constantly aware if Harry was near him and when that wasn’t the case, he was anxious that he would show up at any moment.

Winter crept up on the envoy as they passed by Rio de Janeiro and seriously set in as they sailed along Argentina. By the end of March, it was decided by Magellan and the other captains that Puerto San Julian would be where they stopped for winter.

They were docked for a little over a week when Louis had more than a politely awkward encounter with Harry. 

Louis was nursing a pint of ale after a long day of taking stock of supplies and planning what to buy for the next leg of the journey when Harry ungracefully sat on the stool next to him. 

Louis tried to pretend he didn't notice the man, but that became futile when Harry spoke to him. 

“You can stop trying so hard to avoid me,” he said.

Louis was immediately defensive even though Harry was completely right.

“I haven’t been avoiding you. If you haven’t noticed, we have completely different jobs on this trip. There’s not a lot of time to stop and talk to people I particularly don’t want to interact with.”

Harry let out a disbelieving guffaw, “Whenever I come on deck or enter the mess hall, you beginning searching for the nearest exit. I know I’m not the most observant person, but if I’ve noticed, I can assure you other people have too. Niall has told me that you don’t take to new people easily. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that’s not why you can’t look me in the eye.”

“Can you really blame me?” Louis sighed.

It was the closest they were going to get to Louis admitting Harry was right.

“I understand why you don’t want to be around me and I respect your boundaries,” Harry said. “The reason I’m sitting here now is to let you know that I don’t want to get in the way of you and your duties on this ship.”

Louis silently listened as Harry continued. “You need to stop worrying that I have some ulterior motive and am going to force you to be my friend again. If you haven’t noticed, besides now, I haven’t once tried to force my presence on you. Now, when you decide you are ready for a conversation with me, you know where to find me.”

“How are you so sure I’ll ever willingly talk to you?” Louis questioned.

Harry raised an eyebrow. “Give me some credit, Louis. It may be ten years since we last saw each other, but I’d like to think I know you well enough to be certain you will eventually come around.”

With that, Harry slid off his stool and left a slightly overwhelmed Louis staring into his pint.

-

That night, Louis tossed on his hammock. He had spent the past ten years trying to forget what happened the last time he saw Harry. All it took was the man’s presence for everything, including his old feelings, to come rushing to the surface.

It was now 1520 and had been only four months since they left Spain. Louis wasn’t sure he could go another year steadfastly ignoring Harry.

He didn’t have to go out of his way to be friendly to the man, but Louis knew he could at least make the effort to talk when they happened to be in the same part of the ship.

When Louis finally started drifting off to sleep, it was to one of his last memories of a happier time.

_Fall 1508_

_Harry said he would be waiting for Louis at their usual spot, but that didn’t stop the anxiety from bubbling in his stomach as he neared the walled-in garden down the street from the Styles’ residence._

_He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Harry sitting in the shade of an ash tree with his sketchbook propped on his knees._

_Louis thought Harry looked the most beautiful when he was absorbed in his drawings. His teeth bit at his cherry-colored lips in concentration while the setting sun made his curly hair glow in the fading light._

_Harry was so caught up in drawing that he didn’t notice Louis until the older boy plopped down next to him on the ground. He put his sketchbook aside so he could focus on the reason he came to the garden in the first place._

_“How has your day been?” Harry asked as he faced his body toward Louis._

_“Better, now that I’m with you,” Louis grinned._

_Harry let out one of his boyish giggles that Louis loved. They had known each other for most of their lives, but it still amazed Louis that they essentially lived in two different worlds. Louis had long days packing and unpacking goods on the docks of London while Harry stayed indoors studying and drawing with his private tutor._

_“You don’t want to touch me. I’ve been handling crates of fish all day,” Louis protested as Harry decided to snuggle into Louis’ side._

_“Don’t care. I’ve missed you.” Harry said._

_Louis let out a carefree laugh of his own. “Fair. It has been a few days.”_

_“For the record, I’ve missed you too,” Louis said when he saw the pout on Harry’s face._

_The pair were content to sit in silence as birds chased each other through the garden and squirrels dug into the soft soil._

_Before long, the sun dipped even lower on the horizon and both knew they would soon have to part._

_Harry gave a sad sigh and Louis tightly gripped his hand to remind him he was there._

_“Tell me what the plan is,” Louis coaxed Harry._

_“In a little more than two years, when I’m eighteen and have my inheritance, I can buy us a house where we can live without a care in the world,” Harry recited._

_It sounded like a dream never destined to happen, but they were willing to give up everything for each other._

_They had mutually agreed never to say goodbye out loud, because the reality was that their partings were an ‘until next time.’_

_Instead, their lips met in a familiar kiss. It wasn’t heated or passionate. It was gentle and sweet. A promise of a lifetime of soft kisses to come._

-

Louis was no stranger to long voyages, but he couldn't help but miss the spring air in London as March began thawing the earth. All he had in their temporary port was a strange winter that was a mixture of cold and humid days. The frigid, salty breeze was a constant reminder that he was nowhere near England. Louis was no longer a religious man, but he participated in the feast of food made by the ship’s cooks. All of the crews enjoyed their meal on the sandy shores of Puerto San Julian.

What started as a calm day full of murmured prayers ended with blood clotting the beige sand.

Though the trip was long, the crew was small. Three out of the ships’ five captains planned a mutiny against Magellan and chose Easter as the day for its execution. 

They attempted to rally crew members to their side and then stole off to the ships they captained. Sailors were well aware of the consequences of a failed coup and many had no reason to turn against the expedition’s leader.

Magellan proved to be a decisive leader when he needed to be. The remaining captains and crew were instructed on how to recover the rebel ships. A mini-war took place over the rough waters of their temporary ports.

Most of the crew members had only half-heartedly followed the mutinous captains, which made stopping the ordeal easy. Louis helped take the _Victoria_ back to port with Liam and their loyal crewmembers on the _Santiago_. 

Liam had forced Harry to stay behind on the shore with other members of the trip who had no experience running a ship. Harry had pouted, but eventually gave in when Louis asked him if he’d like a sword run through him by a turncoat. 

Once everyone was back under control, the hard part of living on the open oceans and seas resumed. When at sea, a ship became a small town of its own. There were no police or judges. Instead, they followed the judgment of their captain and the unwritten rules of the sea. Magellan could not afford to have a repeat of what took place that day, but he also could not punish every man involved. Doing so would foolishly get rid of a large chunk of manpower. 

In a show of what Magellan tried to play off as mercy, he pardoned all of the crewmen involved in the failed rebellion. Louis wouldn’t even call it a true rebellion; it was so pathetic.

The captains, however, would receive the full punishment their actions required. That evening as the sun dipped low in the sky, the captains’ executions took place on the same beach as the earlier feast. Everyone gathered around to watch the proceedings. Not only was it a punishment, it was a warning to the rest of them what their fate would be if a similar situations occurred. Louis understood why these rules were in place, but he did not relish them. Each time the sword successfully went through one of the captains’ necks, a cheer would go up among the bloodthirsty men in their ranks.

Louis glanced to his right and saw Harry rigidly standing next to Niall, who had a reassuring hand on Harry’s shoulder. Harry had been raised mostly sheltered from the grislier aspects of the world. He was looking at the sand beneath his boots rather than at what was happening, but Louis could still see the ghostly pallor of his skin.

Magellan barked at the men to disperse once the deed was done, and men dragged the bodies off. Three men had not expected to be promoted to captain that day, but that’s the situation they found themselves in. Louis looked for Harry again and saw him swiftly making his way toward one of the makeshift sleeping huts on the shore.

Thankfully, Harry was the only person inside when Louis finally caught up with him. He wasn’t sure why, but something was telling him to make sure Harry was alright. Louis had always wanted to protect Harry from the world when they were younger and Louis guessed the sentiment was still lurking in the back of his mind.

Harry looked up from his spot slumped in a bunk when Louis entered.

“Are you alright?” Louis dumbly asked.

It was obvious Harry was not alright. Louis wanted to smack himself when he saw Harry valiantly trying to hold back tears.

Louis made his way to the occupied bunk and sat down beside Harry. When Louis gripped Harry’s hand, an emotional wave went through him and he could tell the same happened to Harry by the way he almost jerked back.

Luckily, Harry squeezed Louis’ hand back in thanks.

“I knew things like that happen on ships, but I never expected to see it,” Harry admitted. 

“I’ve been doing this for seven years and it has never gotten easier. But we have those rules in place because ships would be chaos without them,” Louis said.

“I understand,” Harry sighed as he wiped at his eyes.

“I’m assuming that was your first time seeing someone executed like that. I’m sorry this isn’t what you signed up for, but you should know most sailors don’t relish following the rules. If you need someone to talk to about it, there’s Liam and Niall...or me,” Louis finished.

Harry was closer to thirty than twenty at this point in his life, but Louis could still see the innocence in his eyes when he gratefully looked at Louis.

“Thanks, Lou. You didn’t have to come in here to comfort me, but I’m glad you did,” Harry all but whispered.

They sat in comfortable silence until Louis stood up to head back to his ship.

-

Time continued to flow by and suddenly it was once again September. The ships had been at sea for a year now and it seemed they were no closer to the highly sought after Spice Islands. Under Magellan’s orders, they were still waiting for better weather to continue their voyage from Puerto San Julian.

There were only two weeks left of September when Liam volunteered to take the Santiago down the coast to scout weather conditions. 

The ship and its crew, including Harry, were only a day out when disaster found them. 

Storm clouds quickly whipped up overhead, but it looked like a typical storm. It would bring wind and dump rain on them, but then pass as quickly as it formed.

At least that’s what Louis thought.

All hands were up top tying down the sails and other items that might be loose on deck. They were all prepared to ride out the docile-looking storm, until it proved stronger than it looked.

The wind blew harder than any of them expected. Normally, that wouldn’t be a problem, but the ship was too close to the shore and had no chance at safely outmaneuvering the gale. 

Water sloshed onto the deck as Louis helped Captain Payne hold the ship wheel in the opposite direction the wind was blowing. They both knew it was futile, but it was the only option they had.

Men slid across the wet deck and held on to anything they could. Some even managed to make it below deck where it was safer.

Suddenly, the ship jerked as it grinded against the rocky ocean floor. Louis winced at the noise. The ship was made of sturdy oak, but even Louis knew it had no chance against the rocks below them. If they were lucky, the damage would be little, some water in the hull. If the flow of water was slow, they would have time to salvage some supplies and make sure everyone was safely off the ship.

Despite sailors spending their whole lives on ships, only a handful knew how to swim. 

The ship continued scraping along while the wind howled and rain harshly pelted them in the face. Louis could see a large outcrop of rocks in the water directly in their path, but all he could do was helplessly watch as it moved closer and grew almost as tall as the ship’s deck.

With the sound of splintering wood, they slammed into the rocks. 

At some point, Harry had come onto the deck to see what was going on. The clueless man was near the railing of the ship looking at two men who were preparing one of the three dinghies. When the ship stopped its movement against the rocks, Louis looked on in horror as Harry was flung over the side of the ship.

Without hesitation, Louis let go of the wheel he had been holding onto for dear life and flung himself off the ship after Harry. The only thought racing through Louis’ head was that Harry didn’t know how to swim.

Louis dove down deep into the frigid water and tried not to gag as its saltiness filled his nose and stung his eyes. He tried to tamp down the panic he felt as he kicked himself to the surface.

Harry was nowhere in sight. Louis took in a large gulp of air before diving back under and looking around for the younger man.

Far below him, Louis finally spotted Harry struggling to reach the surface. Louis himself was almost out of air and he knew they would both be in trouble if he attempted to go after Harry now.

Once Louis’ lungs were full again, he dove back down to retrieve Harry, who now looked unconscious. While floating on his back, Louis used the swimming skills he had from his younger days to slowly haul Harry safely to the shore.

Harry was still out by the time Louis dragged him up the beach away from the crashing waves. It was a strong possibility that Harry had swallowed water during the ordeal, and Louis had no idea if the man was breathing.

Louis forced Harry into a sitting position and gave Harry a few strong thumps on the back. He was about to give up when Harry suddenly coughed and sputtered a gush of water from his mouth.

Louis breathed a sigh of relief as Harry continued to gulp air into his lungs. After gently laying Harry back on the sand, Louis squinted through the rain and could just make out the floundering Santiago. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the dinghies slowly making their way to shore in the raging storm.

When they were close enough to the shore, Louis helped pull the small boats a safe distance from the crashing waves. Captain Payne and First Mate Horan were busy conferring on what should be done next. He knew they would call on him when needed, so he made his way back to Harry.

Although Harry looked disheveled and was caked with sand, in Louis’ mind, he was a beautiful sight. The last hour had been full of adrenaline, and Louis was finally able to relax knowing Harry, and hopefully all of the crew, were safe.

“How are you feeling?” Louis asked, brushing sand off him.

“I’ve been better,” Harry croaked.

“The salt in the water probably rubbed your throat raw. It should be better in a day or so,” Louis told him.

“I’m fine,” Harry said.

Louis wasn’t convinced and he raised an eyebrow to let Harry know he could not be fooled.

Harry cleared his throat before speaking again. “Thank you for saving me. You didn’t have to, but I’m glad you did.”

Louis couldn’t stand how sincere Harry looked. He immediately wanted to protest Harry’s insinuation that Louis would have chosen the option of letting Harry drown, but Louis was too tired to start the argument. 

Instead, he nonchalantly waved Harry off.

“I would have done it for anyone.”

Harry opened his mouth to say something else, but they were interrupted by Niall.

“Liam needs to talk with you,” Niall informed him.

Before following the man back to Captain Payne, Louis turned to Harry again.

“Seriously, pulling you from certain death was not a burden. Rest for a while and then you can help set up camp.”

With that, he left a wide-eyed Harry still sitting in the sand as the rain slowly stopped falling and the sun peaked through grey clouds. 

-

The Santiago didn’t completely sink, because of how shallow the water where it stopped was. Their home for most of the last year was listed on its side.

It was thankfully determined that the whole crew was accounted for. Captain Payne took action and sent a group of men over land to find Magellan and relate what happened.

Since the boat wasn’t completely underwater, Louis was tasked with taking some men to the ship and attempting to salvage what they could. Priority went to food.

The day after the storm, Louis rowed out to the ship to begin the work. Those whom Louis chose to venture out with him carefully climbed aboard the ship and split up to search the non-flooded portions of the ship.

For Captain Payne and First Mate Horan, Louis retrieved charts and other navigation tools from the captain’s quarters.

Once he left the small room, Louis slid his way along the corridor that led to the sleeping quarters. His brain kept pestering to go into his old cabin, and after checking out the sleeping quarters, Louis finally gave in.

The furniture had slid to the side of the ship. When Louis caught sight of the paper and charcoal lying around, he understood what was nagging him to explore the room.

Art was Harry’s life, and Louis knew he would be lost the rest of the trip without his supplies. Harry may already be devastated thinking about all his work from the last year being lost.

Louis quickly gathered up what he could before making his way back to the waiting dinghy.

Harry was ecstatic when Louis presented him with his artwork. Seeing Harry’s happiness was contagious. Louis couldn’t keep the smile off his face for the rest of the day.

-

It took a week for Magellan and the rest of the captains to find the shipwrecked crew of the Santiago. During that time, Harry stuck close to Louis. He thought the younger man might still be in shock after his near-death experience, but Harry’s borderline clinginess continued after they were situated on the Victoria for the rest of the journey.

Rather than push Harry away, Louis let him get closer. If he needed the presence of a person to assure he was still alive, then Louis would be that person for him. Louis may have had an aversion to letting Harry back into his life, but that didn’t mean he wanted the man to suffer.

Louis would even admit that he was encouraging Harry to continue seeking him out. Their conversations were as easy as they had been when they were younger and they carefully avoided the topic of their pasts.

More often than not, Louis lay in his hammock before falling asleep at night repeating that willingly talking to Harry meant nothing. They still would never be friends again.

-

Louis and Harry’s steady camaraderie continued as the months passed by them. Magellan claimed waterways and new lands for himself as they continued on the new route that would hopefully lead them to the Spice Islands.

Several stops along the way gave Harry the chance to continue documenting what the world outside of Europe looked like. For the rest of the crew, these stops meant exploring new land and loading up on plants and other useful items not native to Europe.

Things drastically changed for Louis and Harry once Magellan found what would later be named the Philippines.

-

At the beginning of March 1521, land had been spotted, and the _Victoria_ crew was preparing to go ashore and scout out the luscious-looking shore.

Harry grew increasingly tired of Louis still holding himself back. Despite what he had told Louis almost two years ago, he wanted to mend what had occurred in 1509, and Harry would do it with or without Louis’ consent.

Louis was bringing a tray of food to Harry when the man cornered him in his empty quarters.

“Can we talk for a minute?” Harry nervously asked him.

Louis could already tell something was going to be different about this talk, but he agreed anyway.

“I know you don’t want to talk about what happened, but I think discussing it will help you move past it,” Harry told him.

“Move past it?” Louis said in indignation.

“I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that I think we can at least be friends again if you’d only stop pulling away from me anytime we get close,” Harry replied.

Louis laughed bitterly at Harry’s words. “Can you blame me? You left me when we promised we never would and it was when I needed you the most.”

“I didn’t have a choice and you know that!” Harry heatedly replied.

“You’re going to listen to what I’m about to say, Harry, and then you’re going to leave me alone for the rest of this trip,” Louis demanded.

Harry was about to protest, but Louis talked over him.

“You left me with your rich, entitled family for the safety of the countryside. Do you know what it’s like to slowly watch your entire family suffer and die at the hands of the plague? No. Instead, you got to rest easy knowing you could hire a doctor if you needed it. All you had to worry about was who you would dance with that night or what you would next have to eat.

“And you know what the funniest part is? Even after all of that, I waited for you. Once the plague finally stopped tormenting London, I naively thought you would come back for me. But you never did. I was the only person I had left in the world, so I moved on, and so should you.”

Louis pushed past a stunned Harry, ignoring the wetness of the younger man’s eyes. 

-

As Louis helped row the dinghy toward the new island, he thought back to the last time he had seen Harry before this trip.

_Spring 1509_

_Harry had slipped Louis a note that day asking him to meet at their usual spot. They had little time to see each other lately. A plague had been sweeping through London since the beginning of the year, and although Louis was preoccupied with the youngest twins being down with sickness, he made time to meet his love._

_The future may have been uncertain, but Louis couldn’t help but smile at its prospects. He had just received a better paying job at the docks, and when he had recently confessed to his mother about his relationship with Harry, she had accepted him with love only a mother could show. All he had to do was survive the plague, and in two years, Harry and he would start their new life._

_Louis knew something was wrong as soon as he saw Harry’s face. The sixteen-year-old rigidly stood underneath what Louis thought of as Harry’s tree with what could only be described as a doomed expression._

_When he got close enough, Louis grabbed Harry’s trembling hands in his own. Before he could ask what was wrong, Harry was desperately kissing him. It was unlike any kiss they had every shared, and Louis was both scared and uncomfortable by it._

_“I’m sorry, Lou. I’m so sorry,” Harry said when they pulled away._

_“For what? Tell me what’s going on, Harry,” Louis said with worry tingeing his voice._

_“My family is leaving London,” Harry said as tears began falling._

_Louis was taken aback. “You’re leaving, why?”_

_“My parents have discussed it, and they do not want to risk catching the plague. We’re going to the countryside until it’s over,” Harry replied._

_“I don’t understand. Your family could use its money and merchant contacts to help find a cure. Or at least something to ease the pain.”_

_“Father doesn’t want to risk it. He’d rather his family be safe than suffering with the masses,” Harry answered bitterly._

_“Stay here with me! You don’t have to listen to your father. We’ll make a new plan,” Louis pleaded._

_“I can’t do that. Part of the reason we’re waiting until I get my inheritance is so we can help your family out of the docklands.” Harry sounded resigned._

_“My family has always lived there. They know how to make it through. What I don’t know is how I’ll make it without you.” Louis wiped away tears of his own._

_“We’re going to be okay, Louis. I’ll stick it out with my family and in two years we can live together like we planned.” Harry seemed resolute with his decision to leave._

_“I don’t want you to ‘stick it out.’ I need you here. The sickness has started in my family. I know we can find a way to survive and live together after. You know my mom loves us; she’ll help.” Louis tried to convince Harry._

_“Louis, I’m thinking about securing our future by doing this. Sorry, but I have to do as my father says,” Harry tearfully said._

_Through their tears, the young boys kissed for a final time. It was not sweet like their kisses usually were, and Louis did not feel like it was an ‘until next time’ moment. The kiss was full of an uncertain longing._

_Harry pulled away from him and wouldn’t let Louis catch his lips when he chased after them. He gave Louis’ hands one last squeeze before slowly backing away._

_“I’ll wait for you. We promised not to leave each other, and I expect you to keep your end of it. Two years, Harry. Only two years,” Louis called._

_Tears were still running from Harry’s red-rimmed eyes. He nodded in response to Louis’ last words before turning and quickly striding out of the garden._

-

Louis went back to not speaking to Harry at all. Unlike the anxiety that followed him at the beginning of the voyage, Louis’ avoidance was now fueled by rage. Despite telling Harry not to speak to him again, the man still tried to get Louis alone to make his excuses. All Louis could feel was disgust.

After his family had died and been buried with the thousands of other victims in the plague pits, Louis had stuck around a London that now haunted him with memories. He had told Harry he would wait the two years for him, and that is exactly what he did. The two years came and went with Louis in a stupor. All he did was work to survive until Harry came for him. At the three-year mark, he knew Harry was not coming. Thus, his career as a serious sailor had begun.

It was now April, a little over a month after their last encounter, and the group was still charting the mass of islands. Magellan brought his indentured servant Enrique with him on the trip and now used him as a translator on the islands. The poor man was no better off than a slave, and Louis had to look away in shame when he saw him meekly following his master.

Louis did not like what was taking place between Magellan and the rulers of the small island of Cebu. He could feel the uncomfortable tension Liam and Niall carried with them after meetings with Magellan and the other captains.

Rajah Humabon was the Christian ruler of Cebu and he had an enemy on Mactan named Lapu-Lapu. The leader of the Spanish-financed expedition decided to follow in other colonists’ footsteps. Lapu-Lapu was not a Christian, and Magellan decided to help his friend Rajah while securing victory for Spain through converting a native population.

The crew was officially down to 150 men, but this fact did not stop Magellan’s ambitions. His plan was to leave enough people to handle the ships while taking the rest to attack Lapu-Lapu. Louis wanted no part of it, but he was selected as part of the battle party.

It was a disaster from the very start. The group rowed as close to the rocky shore as they could and then had to wade through the water the rest of the way. Louis was one of the eleven men chosen to stay with the boats to ensure their return to the ships from the island.

Louis could see everything from the boats. They were vastly outnumbered by 1,000 Mactan men. Lapu-Lapu and his men immediately recognized who the leader of the men was. Their crossbows were effective, but the Mactans had differing sizes of bamboo spears and were experts at throwing.

The men watching the boats looked on in shock as Magellan was felled by a spear. A man in their party attempted to pull Magellan back to the waiting boats, but he was stopped by a storm of men who brutally stabbed him and then dragged the captain off and into the wilderness that lined the edge of the beach.

Once it was apparent their leader was gone, the sailors left standing began a hasty retreat. A few of the Mactan men had already broken the line and were now trying to stop the boats from leaving.

Louis pulled the oars of the dinghy he was in up into a rowing position as men began scrambling into it. Spears whizzed by and he saw one man slip off the edge of the boat and into the water once he was hit through the back.

A Mactan man stared him in the eyes as he threw his spear at Louis. It was astonishing that in the midst of a battle Louis still thought about how human the stranger’s eyes were. He had no time to dodge the weapon before the short bamboo stabbed through his right shoulder. Louis grunted in pain, but continued the motion of rowing the boat backwards. He had no choice. It was either row or wait for someone to kill them all.

The paddles Louis was gripping only dipped through the water a few more times before an excruciating pain bloomed in his side. When Louis looked down, a larger piece of bamboo was sticking into his left side. Unlike his shoulder injury, the spear in this wound was in the way of his rowing. Louis quickly pulled the spear out of his body. As he picked up rowing again, he could feel the warmth of his blood seeping down his side and the length of the arm.

He couldn’t tell if he was imagining it or not, but Louis thought they edges of his vision were starting to turn black. Suddenly, he saw a haggard and sea-soaked Niall haul himself over the edge of the small dinghy. Louis tried to laugh at the look of horror on Niall’s face, but he only ended up gasping in pain.

“Let me take over the rowing, yeah?” Niall said as he gently moved a now-pliant Louis onto the bottom of the boat directly in front of Niall.

“Just hang in there, Lou. The ship doctor will fix you right up,” Niall soothed. Louis wasn’t sure why his friend sounded so concerned.

Since it was not an organized retreat, the boat was full of whoever could crawl into the rocking vessel. Louis was feeling sleepy, so he rested his head against Niall’s knees and let the other men sitting on the benches and boat bottom around him keep him propped up.

“Louis, you need to stay awake. We’re almost back to the ship,” Niall said from far away.

“I’m sleepy,” Louis whined backed.

Louis thought he heard a strained chuckle from Niall accompanied by an insult about how bratty Louis could be. He could banter with Niall later. All Louis wanted was a nice nap. He let the rocking of the boat comfort him as he closed his eyes and let darkness overtake him.

-

_Louis sat on an unfamiliar dock. In front of him was a still pond reflecting the sun and the puffy clouds in the sky._

_“What’s on your mind?” asked a familiar voice beside him._

_When Louis turned his head, Harry was sitting beside him with his breeches rolled up, dipping his toes in the pond’s water._

_“Where are we? What is this place?” Louis asked in wonder._

_Harry giggled. “That’s not funny, Lou.”_

_“I’m being serious. I have no idea what’s going on.” Everything felt fuzzy to Louis. It seemed real, but at the same time, Louis got the feeling he was looking through a foggy piece of glass._

_“We’re home,” came Harry’s simple reply._

_Louis could swear he had never been to the place before, but Harry calling it home felt right. The older man reached out and squeezed one of Harry’s hands._

_“Home,” Louis said out loud._

_Harry continued grinning at him as the picturesque scene faded. Try as he might, Louis couldn’t get the image back, but he knew it was an image he wanted to make a reality._

-

Louis groaned as he felt unforgiving wood pressing into his back. Without moving, he could tell his whole body was sore. It reminded him of the ring fighting he dabbled in for extra money when he first became a sailor.

“Are you awake?” Came a voice that sounded like Niall.

Louis slowly blinked his eyes open and squinted in the mostly dark room to find the source of the voice. He could hear groans coming from other men around him, which meant he must be in the sick bay.

He was about to attempt to speak when Niall moved closer and gingerly helped Louis sit up. Niall handed him a cup of ale for his dry mouth.

“Tell me how I’m doing,” he told Niall.

“I’d say you’re pretty lucky, because you’re still alive,” Niall joked.

“Thanks,” Louis said dryly. 

“In all seriousness, all you needed was some sutures so you’d stop bleeding out. The doctor told me you’d be down for a little while, but it should all heal with no problems. You’ve been out for a few days.” Louis could tell Niall had his trademark smile on through the gloom cast by the single lamp on the wall.

“What about everyone else?” Louis asked.

“Liam and I are fine. Surprisingly, most of the men injured were able to make it back to the boats. There was no way for us to recover bodies, though. We’re down to two ships, because there are not enough men left. We left the Conception behind,” Niall said.

“One more thing before I pass out again. Please tell me we’ve left those awful islands.”

Niall chuckled, “As soon as we gave up trying to recover Magellan’s body, we set course for our main destination.”

Louis gave a relieved sigh. Although he wouldn't be able to help around the ship for a while, all Louis wanted was to make it to the Spice Islands and then the familiar lands of Europe. 

Niall could tell Louis’ strength was starting to fade. The doctor brought Louis’ a sleeping draught and Niall dutifully left so Louis could rest.

-

The next time Louis woke up, he was fed a standard meal of gruel, which many believed helped restore one’s health quicker. Luckily for Louis, he was then moved to a private room, because he was a high ranking officer.

He had just gotten as comfortable as he could on the unforgiving bed when Harry poked his head into the room. 

The younger man had an uncertain look on his face, but he still made his way over to Louis’ side.

“How are you feeling?” Harry asked.

Louis frowned in consideration. He had zero desire to talk to the young man, but he was effectively trapped with his company.

“Fine,” Louis replied shortly.

Harry let out an exasperated sigh. “Niall told me you kept saying my name when they first brought you back to the ship. I thought maybe you wanted to see me, but I guess I was wrong.”

Louis gave Harry a nod to show he was correct. After the dream he had, Louis wasn’t surprised he had called the curly-haired man in the state he was in, but that did not mean he wanted the real Harry talking to him.

Harry took a few steps towards the door, but then turned around to face Louis with a determined look.

“Actually, it’s my turn to talk, and you have no choice but to listen. Then I’ll leave you alone until this trip is over and we never have to see each other again.” Harry looked pained at the mention of never seeing Louis again.

“I was a naive sixteen-year-old last time we met. Can you really blame me for thinking I needed to follow the person who held the money to our future? None of it mattered in the end. I regularly wrote letters I could never send to you and hid them in my room. A few months after my eighteenth birthday, father found them. He could not handle having a son who prefers the company of men, so he disowned me without my inheritance.”

Harry looked angry rather than sad speaking of what he had been through. “I had to spend time earning money before making my way back to London. By then, you were gone and I could find no trace of you or your family. It was obvious to me the plague had taken its toll. Imagine returning to London for the one you love and finding out they’re dead,” Harry whispered. 

“You probably already know, but the last few years I’ve been making a name for myself as an artist across Europe. I had no idea taking this assignment would bring me back to someone I thought long dead. It hurts that you don’t want to be with me, but I hope you knowing the full story makes you understand that I never meant to abandon you. I can’t help but feel fate brought us back together on this journey as a strange twist of closure,” Harry finished.

Without looking at Louis, Harry got up and walked from the room. Louis was left alone to absorb what he was told. The majority of the last twelve years, Louis had been convinced Harry left him for the aristocratic life he was always meant to lead.

He had imagined Harry laughing at private dinners hosted at his house while his wife showed off their children. Anger at how his life had turned out made the idea of Harry being prevented from returning to Louis unimaginable. Now, Louis’ whole perception of the situation had been challenged.

Louis laid back in bed and closed his eyes. All he knew at that moment was he needed time to reconsider the last decade.

-

A week passed before Louis felt confident with the mess in his head. His time had been spent slowly walking around the ship building his strength up after lying in bed too long. Niall had helped with Louis’ perpetual boredom, but Louis was determined to get back to work. First, he needed to speak with Harry.

Much like their first night together on the _Santiago_ , Louis found Harry sitting by the ship’s railing as the sun set. The pink and orange cast by the setting sun turned Harry’s hair into a flaming mass of curls. Harry looked peacefully innocent and it reminded Louis of when they were children sitting on the docks in London. Louis pulled himself away from thoughts of the past. He needed to focus on the now.

Harry’s face was one of shock when Louis sat down next to him. It hurt Louis’ heart when he saw his shock quickly turn to fear. Louis had continually hurt Harry on this trip and he had been patient with Louis’ anger. He had been honest with Louis and it was now evident that he was afraid of Louis’ rejecting him for a final time.

“I owe you an apology,” Louis started.

Harry raised an eyebrow in response, waiting for Louis to gather his thoughts and continue.

“I’ve spent a long time holding a grudge against you. You were right the other day when you talked about being young when you moved with your family. We were both wrong, and I’ve selfishly thought this whole time that I was the only one who suffered. I should have let you explain yourself from the very beginning. If I had, things may have been easier.”

“Thank you for your apology,” Harry told him.

Louis chuckled. “Even when I don’t deserve it, you forgive me.”

“Of course I forgive you. You have every right to your feelings. I can’t imagine what you went through after I left, and I’m sorry I wasn’t brave enough to leave my father.”

Louis lightly rested one of his hands over Harry’s and was pleased when the younger man didn’t pull away.

“I blamed you for leaving without really taking into consideration that you were trying to give me a better life. I understand everything now, and I forgive you for leaving London.”

“Does that mean we can start again?” Harry questioned.

Louis nodded his head. “We just need to be honest with each other, and I need you to keep pushing when I’m being stubborn.”

“I’ve always dealt with you being stubborn.” Harry smiled. 

Louis could always tell when Harry was figuring out how to say something important. He had always spoken slow and thoughtfully, and Louis had learned when they were young it was best not to rush him.

“I’m not telling you what I’m about to say to scare you, but, as you said, we need to be honest with each other. It’s been twelve years since I left you in London and nine since I thought you were dead, but I’ve never stopped loving you. I’m not sure if us starting again means only being friends for you, but it will never mean that for me. I’m afraid I’ll always love you, even if you never love me again,” Harry admitted. 

Louis’ voice was full of emotion when he was finally able to reply. He couldn’t believe that after Louis had treated him the last two years, Harry was still in love with him. “I never stopped loving you either. Even when I believed you had abandoned me, I loved you. When I first saw you in Captain Payne’s office, I couldn’t help the rush of love I felt at seeing your face again. I’ve been angry since you went away, and I convinced myself I couldn’t love you because of it.”

He could feel the tears gathering in his eyes at finally letting all of his pent-up emotions for Harry finally be free. When he looked Harry in the eye, he could tell he felt the same. A few tears slipped down Harry’s face and Louis gently wiped them away.

They were both cast in a warm shade of orange from the sun as Harry gently turned Louis’ head toward him. There was a pause, and then Louis felt familiar soft lips on his for the first time in twelve years. Louis relished the feel of Harry’s lips on his after so long apart, but then he forced himself to pull away.

Louis rested his forehead against Harry’s as he cautiously spoke, “I love you, but I need to take this slow. I hate admitting I don’t trust you like I use to. Good thing we’re stuck at sea together,” Louis softly joked.

“It’s a start,” Harry replied just as softly.

As stars began appearing in the sky, Louis felt the last threads of hatred dissipate. It felt good no longer having the weight of his confused feelings for Harry pressing on him. Louis wasn't quite ready to let Harry completely back into his life, but he knew the curly-haired man eventually would, and Louis was more than okay with that.

-

_Afterward_

On September 6, 1522, Louis and Harry were two of the eighteen men aboard the _Victoria_ when it arrived back in Spain after almost three years.

In November 1521, the small fleet finally reached the Spice Islands. The _Victoria_ and its valuable spices took a small portion of the remaining crew westward toward Spain while the _Trinidad_ stayed to repair a sudden leak.

It was not discovered until 1522 that the _Trinidad_ had attempted to sail the route the ships originally took, but was captured by the Portuguese. The ship was wrecked in a storm. Captain Payne and First Mate Horan were two of the four men to survive the ordeal and return to Europe alive.

Aboard the _Victoria_ , Captain Elcano made the choice to put spices above the lives of men. Twenty men died before a stop was made for supplies at the islands of Cape Verde. There, Elcano left thirteen more men behind to fend for themselves.

Through it all, Harry and Louis had each other. Together, they fought near starvation at the hands of an insincere captain and were lucky they were not one of the 232 men who died on the long voyage.

It took time, but the situations Louis and Harry were continually put through only drew them closer together. Louis would no longer hesitate when asked if he trusted Harry. Their love was mutual.

As soon as they were free from their duties as members of Magellan’s crew, Louis and Harry quickly got out of Spain. Harry gained a considerable amount of money for his drawings from the voyage, and they made their way back to England.

They were never able to settle in the country manor they originally imagined, but they were able to purchase a quaint cottage outside a village where no noisy people felt the need to bother their living style. Louis took up raising sheep while Harry continued getting commissions for his art. They had already seen a lot of Europe separately, but they were now able to enjoy the continent together whenever they had money to travel.

It was not until 1523 that Louis and Harry, along with the rest of Europe, found out exactly what was accomplished on Magellan’s exploration. Maximilianus Transylvanus interviewed survivors from the voyage and was able to piece together the route taken. Magellan’s goal was to find a short route to the Spice Islands. Instead, he had started, and Elcano had finished, the first circumnavigation of Earth.

Antonio Pigafetta published his own account in 1525. Harry and Louis were able to read about their own experiences on the trip through another sailor’s eyes. Their time on Magellan’s ships served the purpose of bringing Louis and Harry back together, but the pair would rather not reminisce on the horrors of dirty bunks, unclean water, starvation, and the unforgettable amount of rats.

Now that what they hoped was the toughest trial of their lives was over, they had the rest of their time to freely spend together.

It no longer mattered that they had no families to call home. Magellan’s expedition helped them realize they were each other’s home, and their unbreakable love was what really matters.

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is always appreciated!


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